Veneers

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Veneers in Albany, NY

Veneers are partial-coverage esthetic restorations that cover the front surface of anterior teeth. Veneers may be used to cover stained teeth with a brighter shade, to close small spaces between front teeth, and/or to straighten slightly misaligned teeth.

Traditional veneers are made of a porcelain or a porcelain composite and are fabricated at a dental laboratory. Your dentist will prepare your teeth by prepping away about half of a millimeter off the front and top edge, then he or she will take an impression of this preparation and send it to the lab so they can fabricate your veneers. Your dentist will make temporary composite veneers for you to wear while your case is being fabricated at the lab. When your final veneers are ready to be delivered your dentist will pop off the temporary veneers, try in the final veneers, and then bond the veneers permanently over your teeth.

Chair-side composite veneers are another option to enhance the appearance of anterior teeth. These are typically less expensive and are done in one visit and do not involve a dental laboratory. The dentist will prepare your teeth similarly by taking away about a half of a millimeter of enamel, then he or she will permanently bond composite restorative material over your teeth. Very esthetic results can be achieved with this method, though sometimes these type of veneers wear or stain over time.

Special considerations: Certain people or teeth are not good candidates for veneers. Teeth that are very heavily restored or broken down should have a full-coverage restoration like a crown which wraps around the entire tooth instead of just covering the front. Also, because of the way some people’s teeth come together when they bite, veneers would be at risk of fracture or failure, so they would not be recommended on those people. Anyone who has porcelain or composite veneers, or any type of restoration on their anterior teeth should be very careful about maintaining that restoration and avoiding fracture. Habits like fingernail biting, tearing things open with teeth, or grinding your teeth can cause the restorations to chip or break.